Teela sat on the stairs as she listened to her parents argue about what to do next. Her mother had kept the meeting with the surgeon, but she hadn’t gotten the news they had hoped for. Apparently the surgeon told her she wouldn’t do the surgery without first seeing Teela and then performing tests to see if it would be possible. Teela wanted to thank the doctor for at least not jumping in with both feet on this one. “What do you mean Teela has to meet with her? We gave her more than a dozen pictures of them,” her father shouted. “John, would you perform surgery without meeting the patient and seeing if you could safely do so first?” her mother asked as she shut the door. Teela wasn’t about to learn her fate after they made the decision this time. She walked into the room to face them. ‘Well, would you, Dad?" “Of course I wouldn’t. Now please leave so your mother and I can talk about this in private.” He pointed to the door. Teela folded her arms over her chest, “Yeah, I don’t think so. See, this is my wings you’re talking about cutting off. I want to know what the surgeon said.” “Teela, we will make the decision that is best for this family, not you.” He tried to grab her arm. “She said she wouldn’t be stupid enough to plan a surgery of this kind without all the tests first. She wants to meet you to talk about it, to do a preliminary evaluation, and set up an appointment for the tests.” Violet sat down as Teela jerked out of her father’s grasp. “She wants to meet you tomorrow.” Teela walked to the window, “Huh, and I would have thought she would be as jump in without considering the freak’s feelings as you two are.” “Fine, but do something about her hair before then.” Her father yelled, “She looks ridiculous like that.” Teela finger combed her hair as she waited in the living room for the surgeon to arrive. Her mother had taken nearly an hour to cut it even again and style it flat to her head. Teela didn’t like the stiff feel of the gel she used. She walked over to the windows she forced her fingers through it until it softened up a bit. Why did her mother think it had to lay flat to look right? She watched as a stray cat chased a ground squirrel around the yard. She leaned her head against the cool glass. What she wouldn’t give to be free to run around without a care in the world. Just to stretch her wings and fly high into the sky, to feel the wind in her hair. But her parents were not about to allow that. They wanted to clip her wings and cage her like a pet bird. “Teela, the surgeon is here.” Her mother’s vice brought Teela back to reality. Teela walked to the door to wait as her father admitted the woman dressed in a white lab coat. Teela noticed she stood taller than her father even in the flat soled dress shoes she wore. The woman was beautiful with her hair styled into tiny braids to frame her face. Her dark chocolate skin was smooth as Teela’s yet her gray hair said she was much older than she looked. Teela wondered if she could trust this woman not to go ahead with the surgery just to be able to clam she was the first. “Hello, I am Doctor Alison Rice.” She shook Teela’s father’s hand. “I understand there is a patient you wish me to meet, Doctor Beauregard.” “Yes, my daughter.” Teela backed into the room as he led Doctor Rice to the living room. Teela walked over to the couch but didn’t set down. She wanted to run. The woman entered and looked right at Teela with a huge smile. “Hello, my dear. Give me just one minute and I will be right with you.” Teela watched as she turned to Teela’s parents. “Excuse us for a few minutes. I will examine her and then we will talk about the next step.” “One of us should be in here with her.” Violet protested. “We can’t leave you alone with our daughter.” “Too true, but I wish to talk to her in private to see how she feels about this before I do anything else.” She gently pushed them out the door and shut it. “They will be listening at the door, you know.” Teela felt she should warn the woman. “Of course they will.” She took a seat on the couch and motioned for Teela to take a seat across from her. “Tell me how you feel about having this surgery.” Teela looked at her for a moment. She could see an amused smile playing around the corners of her mouth. The woman was trying not to laugh at something. Teela didn’t see what was so funny until her father’s words came back to her. “You don’t believe I have wings, do you?” The woman laid the notepad aside as she leaned forward, “Not really. I believe that someone at the hospital is playing a joke on me. See, I am new to the staff and pranks seem to be the norm there.” Teela looked down at the long jacket her mother laid out for her to wear. It covered her back from her neck to her ankles hiding the wings as it did so. She stood up and turned her back on the woman. She heard a gasp as the jacket fell to the floor. “There isn’t a joke, Doctor Rice.” Teela turned to look at her, “I’ve had wings since I was six months old.” “Six months old? But this is impossible.” She looked as if someone had just told her the sky was down and the grass was up. Teela sat down, “Yeah, my parents keep saying that as well. If it is impossible, then why do I have wings?”

another interesting addition..but still, i am filled with questions..just on thing, i was a little confused when there was a sudden change in setting - that one when Teela and her parents were talking, then it suddenly changed to the day they were to meet Doctor Rice..just that..it was another enjoyable installment..thanks for the read..

penmage
Children's StoriesTeens

I have a thousand voices in my head. Each wants to be heard and each wants their story read.